Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-10-07
OLYMPIA. WASHINGTON TER.
olympia. FRIDAY EVENING, OCT. /, 1887.
A Measure of Some Importance.

A Measure of Some Importance.
AS SEEN THROUGH PARTISAN GOGGLES.
The Partisan, whose editor spent a
few days last week in Seattle, seems to
be very deeply impressed with the be-
lief that preconcerted action is being
made "by outside Democrats, aided by
certain Democrats in Olympia" to Sc
cure the removal of the Surveyor Gen
erals Office to Seattle. The ground OF
its belief seems to be a conversation
with Mr.. Emery, chairman of the
Territorial Committee"
who, it states, says that " the effort has
the support of J. C. Breckenridge, the
present Surveyor General" Who the
other "Olympia Democrats" are, we
arc at a loss to determine, unless by
the usual process of inverse reasoning
that seems to be sometimes necessary
to understand Republican editorials,
We ascertain who were instrumental
in removing the Register and Receiv-
er's offices, and we find from this
method that the so-called Olympia
support was those who have lately
come to the Territory in official posi-
tions." The context likewise shows
that these gentlemen are meant, for the
writer proceeds to draw a comparison
between Republican carpet-baggers
and the appointces of the present Ad-
ministration. 1t says: ave feel con-
fident that it is impossible to show
single instance where these Republi-
CAM officials have worked, actively or
covertly, secretly or openly, against
the interests of the community in
which they were stationed" The
charge, therefore, seems to be narrowed
down to these propositions: LIST, That
a preconcerted effort was made by the
newly imported Democratic Office
holders at Olympia (Messrs. Shields,
Carson and Breckenridge in collision
with Democrats of the Territory,
through the Chairman of the Central
Committee, to remove the Land Office
to Seattle, which was successful; and
I'd, That movement is being made
by the same men, headed by Mr..
Breckenridge and the Democratic par
ty, (through the Chairman of the Gen.
trail Committee, as usually to remove
the Surveyor Generals Office to the
same place. It seems to us that there
is too much Of a strained effort mani
tested in this statement to justify the
corollary that the Partisan would es-
tablish, that these movements were
solely of party origin for which the
Democratic organization is alone re-
sponsible.
The conditions and influences which
led to the removal of the Land Office
are too well known to admit of any
such belief. The scheme originated
with Mr.. Austin, of the Vancouver
district, simply to enlarge its area and
increase the emoluments of of the po-
sition he held. 1t was at once second
ed by the people of Seattle. irrespec-
tive OF party, as means of booming
real estate speculation, just as every
thing else u eagerly grasped by them
for that purpose. Everything was
made to bend to that object. Every
steamer grounded ON the mudflats that
brought people having business with
the Land Office, was boarded with a
petition for its removal to Seattle. 1t
is absurd to assume that these papers
were signed by none but Democrats,
or that they were drawn up solely by
Mr.. Emery, Or if they were that he has
a ring in the nose of his party, or that
there are no Republican town-site spec
ulators, real estate boomers and mon
ey sharks in Seattle, who would not as
readily rob another community as
they would hang man before break.
fast. The removal was made in re.
spouse to what appeared to be the pop.
ular will and ostensibly to secure the
greatest good to the largest number Of
people.
The same considerations do not ap
ply to the Surveyor Generals office
Its jurisdiction is the whole Territory
and its business is not transacted d.
rectly with the people. 1t should be-
and is, located at a point that is com
paratively central. 1t is as convenien,
here for the Deputies as any Other
point, and nobody will claim that the
business with the Department at Wash
ington can be transacted with bette,
dispatch at any other point than il
can here. Furthermore, we have the
assurance OF Surveyor General Breck
enridge that he has not sought. by
word or deed, to secure a removal o.
his Office to Seattle. That gentleman
frankly states that he would prefer to
reside in larger city than Olympia
but emphatically disclaims having
made any suggestion to Mr.. Emery
or anybody else, to petition for re-
moval.
Mr.. Breckenridge, with every othe,
Democrat, realizes that public Office
was not created as a perquisite of in.
dividual reward. Office is a public
trust, designed to subserve the best
Interests of the whole people, and can
never become, rightly administered, a
means for promoting townsite specu.
lation' or of reward or punishment Of
rival communities, by moves that con.
form to the combinations on the no,;t.